Gameplay
New combat system
Every weapon now has a cooldown between full-strength hits. Swords gain a sweep attack, and the Shield blocks attacks from the front, although an axe can disable it.
Minecraft 1.9 “Combat Update”
Released on 29 February 2016, Minecraft Java Edition 1.9, the Combat Update, reworks combat with an attack cooldown, the Shield and an off-hand slot. It also expands the End with End Cities, Shulkers, Elytra and a respawnable Ender Dragon, and adds Tipped Arrows, Spectral Arrows and Lingering Potions. It runs on Java 8.
Released 29 Feb 2016
Key takeaways
- Combat: attacks have a cooldown shown by an attack indicator, swords get a sweep attack and the Shield blocks hits from the front.
- Off-hand: a second hand slot lets you hold an item in each hand, and you can choose your main hand in the options.
- The End: End Cities with End Ships, the Shulker, Elytra for gliding, Chorus Plants, Purpur blocks and End Rods.
- Archery and potions: Tipped Arrows, Spectral Arrows and Lingering Potions, plus four new effects: Glowing, Levitation, Luck and Bad Luck.
- New enchantments: Frost Walker, which turns water into Frosted Ice under your feet, and Mending.
Headline features
The changes you will notice first, with the pages that go deeper.
Structure
End Cities
Purpur towers on the outer End islands, guarded by Shulkers. Some have an End Ship whose treasure room holds a pair of Elytra.
Items
Tipped and Spectral Arrows
Tipped Arrows apply a potion effect on hit, and Spectral Arrows make the target glow through walls. Lingering Potions leave a cloud of effect on the ground.
Mob
Ender Dragon rematch
Four End Crystals placed on the exit portal summon the Ender Dragon again for a new fight. End Ships carry a Dragon Head on their bow.
What changed
ItemsBoats were redesigned and now come in all six wood types.
GameplayThe Brewing Stand now needs Blaze Powder as fuel.
AccessibilityOptional subtitles show sound effects as text on screen.
WorldIgloos generate in snowy biomes, Beetroot comes over from Pocket Edition, and a shovel turns grass into a Grass Path (today's Dirt Path).
TechnicalChest and mob loot moves to loot tables that map makers can customise, and Repeating and Chain Command Blocks join the Command Block.
Mods & loaders for 1.9
Mods must be rebuilt for each version. Counts from the files published on Modrinth and CurseForge, in our catalog.
51 mods in our catalog have a 1.9 file →40 texture packs and 32 maps in our catalog support 1.9.
How to play 1.9
- 01
Open the Minecraft Launcher and select Minecraft: Java Edition.
- 02
Go to Installations, create a new installation and choose version 1.9.
- 03
Back up your worlds before opening them in a new version.
From first snapshot to release
56 snapshots, 4 pre-releases and 0 release candidates over 215 days.
- 15w31a29 Jul 2015
- 15w40a30 Sept 2015
- 16w07b16 Feb 2016
- 1.9-pre117 Feb 2016
- 1.929 Feb 2016
Minecraft 1.9 FAQ
When was Minecraft 1.9 released?
On 29 February 2016, for Java Edition. The Combat Update came after 1.8.9 and received four updates, up to 1.9.4 on 10 May 2016. The next major version, 1.10, followed on 8 June 2016.
Which Java version does Minecraft 1.9 need?
Java 8. The official launcher runs 1.9 with its own Java 8 runtime.
Why did 1.9 change PvP so much?
Because of the attack cooldown: clicking as fast as possible no longer deals full damage. Shields and the off-hand slot also changed fights. Many PvP players stayed on 1.8 combat, which is why 1.8.9 is still used for PvP.
Can Minecraft 1.9 join servers running 1.9.1 or later?
No. 1.9, 1.9.1 and 1.9.2 each use a different network protocol, so a 1.9 client only joins 1.9 servers. To play on later servers, pick the matching version in the launcher.